Director: Wang Jun

Starring: Zhou Xun / Wallace Huo / Zhang Junning / Dong Jie / Tong Yao / Xin Zhilei / Li Chun / He Hongshan / Wu Junmei / Hu Ke / Jing Chao / Chen Haoyu / Zeng Yixuan / Cao Xiwen / Zhang Jianing / Yuan Wenkang / Huang Youming / Liu Meitong / Han Dantong / Yu Ziyang

First aired: 2018

Plot Summary:

     Qianlong, 1735 AD Upon ascending the throne, his secondary consort, Ruyi, whom he had known since youth, She also entered the palace as a concubine, in accordance with proper rites. From then on, the two of them lived out a marital journey within the imperial court—beginning with tender affection and mutual understanding, only to end in disillusionment and ruin. Upon the new emperor’s ascension, Ruyi, owing to her childhood bond with Qianlong, was elevated to the rank of Consort Xian, thereby drawing the scorn and exclusion of all. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager… She also bears a generations-old feud with the Ruyi clan, leaving Ruyi constantly beset by peril. At this juncture, Emperor Qianlong too grapples with the twin challenges of the Empress Dowager’s entrenched power and the old ministers’ stranglehold on court affairs. Throughout the shifting tides of authority, Qianlong and Ruyi support one another, weathering each crisis together until they have cleared all obstacles. After years of painstaking effort, Qianlong finally succeeds in elevating Ruyi to the position of empress, sharing the empire with her. Yet once she assumes the imperial throne, Ruyi discovers that Qianlong has matured from a youthful consort into a seasoned emperor; his growing suspicion, capriciousness, and the selfishness inherent in imperial rule steadily come to light, gradually eroding the affection and trust between them. Still, Ruyi remains steadfast in cherishing their cherished memories and faithfully fulfilling her duties as empress—until her passing.